Winterspell
by Hozuki
Summary: Jack visits the isles
1. Chapter 1

It's been a decade, give or take a few years, since Jack first discovered the set of isles between America and Europe. Well discovered isn't exactly the right word for it. He could always see them at a distance. He could see the ships leave and come back with far less men than when they had gone. Ships from other countries just seemed to go around the isles, keeping them just out of sight.

A surprising amount of whales traveled there as well, but maybe that same magic that kept the isles hidden kept them safe from whalers, too?

Jack had always wanted to see the isles closer, to see the cities and the people, but the Wind had kept him away. No matter how much he pushed and pushed, he could never get close to them.

Which is why it was such a surprise when he found himself drifting closer to one of the isles than he ever had before.

* * *

Surprise might have been a bit of an understatement. Especially considering that the last time he had looked down it was to the sight of hundreds of penguins in Antarctica.

Yeah, probably an understatement.

But, he wasn't going to question why he could get closer all of a sudden, no he was not. It would probably be just as useful as trying to get the Moon to speak to him again.

He still questioned and (surprise!) no answer.

As he flew over the isles, Jack was drawn to one city in particular. It was by far the largest and brightest of the cities he had glimpsed. Despite its size, there wasn't as many people as Jack expected.

Jack was in the city for a day before he learned about the recently cured Rat Plague.

He couldn't stand to be in the city after he found rats still feasting on both the dead and living in the Flooded District.

That doesn't mean he won't come back, though. He just knows to stay away from the places the Plague hit particularly hard now.

* * *

"What are you doing up there?"

Dark, wide eyes were staring in his direction. Jack looked around to see who she was talking to. _Hmm, that's weird. Why is-_

"Hello~! Can you hear me?" the girl was done up in white; her clothes seemed to be like the fashion that the noble boys in England favored, but with far more frills and bows.

Jack jumped down from the gazebo, walking towards the girl as she continued to stare in his direction.

"I don't think whoever you're looking for is here, kiddo," Jack gave her a sad smile. He knew she couldn't hear or see him, but it was always nice to- Why was her face like that?

Her nose had scrunched up and she was stepping forward; and Jack could _swear_ that the kid was looking right at him. But that was impossible right? Only a believer could see him, and he had never seen this kid before, so how could she-

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked as she peered up at him, "What were you doing up there?"

She was talking to him. She was definitely talking to him.

"What?" All Jack could do was blink, "You're-you're talking to me?"

"Well, yeah. Who else would I be talking to?" A smile. She was smiling at him. He made a child smile! Just the thought made him giddy. He grinned back at her, unable and unwilling to hide how happy this made him.

He eventually toned it down though, she had asked him a question after all.

"Well, its kinda hard to explain, but most of the time a person isn't able to see or hear me. I didn't know you were talking to me."

"But why? Why can't anyone see you?"

"That's just the way it is. Its been that way ever since I can remember."

"Oh," she looked down at her hands, "There's nothing you can do to change that?"

He shook his head.

"So you don't have any friends?"

He replied with a soft no.

Her lips thinned then said, "Then I'll be your friend and I'll make sure others can see you, too."

He gives a soft laugh before he says, "It doesn't work like that, kid. I've been trying for a long time to get people to see me and it hasn't ever worked before. You're the first one to talk to me in a long time."

The girl's eyebrows dipped together, a fire burning in her eyes, her cheeks red in determination. "Then I'll just have to try extra hard. But you have to promise that you won't leave if someone doesn't see you, you won't leave."

"Don't worry, I promise." He hadn't smiled this much since-

He realized he had never smiled this much.

"Pinky promise?"

"Yeah, pinky promise."

Jack then realized that he had been very rude. Just because no one had talked to him didn't mean he could forget his manners. Even if he didn't remember learning them.

He held out his hand to the small child and said, "My name is Jack Frost and I would like to be your friend."

"Nice to meet you Jack," she said as she grinned. "My name is Emily Kaldwin and I would very much like to be your friend as well."

After shaking his hand, she dragged him into the large mansion. Almost as soon as they entered they went to the doors under the grand staircase that lead to the empty kitchens.

Jack and Emily talked throughout the night until Emily's caretakers found them and ushered Emily to bed, not seeming to notice Jack the entire time.

It was his seventeenth night in Dunwall that Jack met the Empress of the Isles.

He was glad that he kept coming back after that first day.


	2. Chapter 2

When Emily had promised to help people believe in him, he hadn't even believed it himself that it could happen. And for the first few days that he stayed with Emily, it didn't even seem like Emily was doing anything. Whenever he would ask, poke, and prod; she would simply say that it was being taken care of, smile, and distract him by asking him about the places beyond the isles.

He told her of the snow capped mountains that he had crossed, of the small villages and temples that sat atop them far above the earth below. Jack told her of the great oceans he had crossed, watching the whales and dolphins travel across the world, and the ships that traveled between the continents. He described the great cities and humble villages that he had visited; of the first village he had seen, and the lake where he was born.

It wasn't that surprising when she asked him why he traveled so much, why he didn't just settle down.

* * *

"Well I have to spread Winter. I have to make sure places that are supposed to get Winter, get it. And…" Jack whispered conspiratorially, "to places that aren't supposed to get it."

He thought that would be the end of it.

"But you've been here for a while now Jack. Shouldn't you be spreading winter?" Emily's dark eyes were staring up at him, her eyebrows scrunching up like they always did when she was confused.

"I don't need to constantly be with a storm to make sure it happens. The weather goes on without me around the world. Besides, the other winter spirits can take care of it for a bit."

"Then why haven't you settled down before now, If you don't have to be there to control it?"

"Because, because the other spirits like to hurt the people that get caught in their storms, and I try to make sure that doesn't happen."

He really hoped that was the end of it. He really, really-

"You should just make them stop." Her eyes seemed to glow now, but that wasn't right. She may have been an empress, but she was still a mortal. And mortals did not glow.

It was gone now though, replaced by her usual smile. It was probably just a trick of the light. Yeah, probably from the whale oil.

"Emily, I can't just make them do something." And he smiled now too, because she was still a child. She couldn't really understand what she was talking about.

"Don't be silly Jack," her smile had grown to a grin now, "You just have to know how to do it."

Then she grabbed his hand and dragged him out with her to play in the spread quickly about the winter spirit name Jack Frost.

* * *

It didn't start where he thought it would, though.

Instead of the the nobles that Emily was surrounded by daily, the first whispers of Jack came from the underbelly of Dunwall. From the reports of witches proclaiming a new patron to the sudden snowflake etchings that appeared on, what seemed like, every building in Dunwall.

The Overseers were up in arms over the new mystical being that had such a sudden presence in the city. Many of the witches that had proclaimed Jack as their patron were soon arrested and brought to court to stand trial for heresy.

As they stood before the Empress, they were brutally questioned on the nature of this Jack Frost by the overseers:

* * *

Who is Jack Frost?

He is the King of Winter.

What does he do?

He protects us from the dangers of Winter.

Where did you learn of him?

The Outsider gave us dreams of Him.

* * *

Once the slightest mention of the Outsider was made, the Overseers would haul the woman away to Coldridge Prison.

This, however, did nothing to stop the belief of Jack Frost from spreading.

Soon all who believed in the Outsider, believed in him. And some who worshiped Him, soon started worshiping Jack.

He noticed that when Emily held court, that a few pairs of eyes would always stray to him. As soon as he would make eye contact with them, they would make an imperceptible bow, turn their attention back to Emily, and would only sneak glances at him for the rest of the day.

That was the greatest extent of contact he had with his followers. That was what they were, really. Yes they believed in him, but they also worshiped him, He didn't want that.

He didn't want people to dedicate their lives to him. He just wanted to be able to be seen, to talk to people and have them talk back.

He didn't want people to believe that he controlled the other Winter spirits-where did they even get that from?-he just wanted them to see him.

* * *

So he left.

He had to get away for a while. Away from the Isles and the worshipers that lived there.

When he told Emily he was leaving, she smiled sadly and told him that he was always welcome back in Dunwall.

Once he left the Isles, he noticed how he no longer had to stop the other spirits from attacking the humans, how the spirits seemed to respect him now instead of resent him. He noticed how his strength over Winter was growing.

And when the Winter Equinox came, the most powerful of the winter spirits came and asked him to form the Court of Winter. Asked him to become the King of the Court.

And he realized what had happened.


	3. Chapter 3

He couldn't believe it. It was standing right in front of him and he couldn't bring himself to do it. Here stood the most powerful spirits that winter had to offer, leaders of all of the winter spirits from around the world. And they wanted him to lead them? Were they mental?! Sure he had gained a bit more power over the cold and some followers, but they were in the isles and they didn't know anything about these spirits! They didn't believe in them! How could their belief in him change them?

"Woah—hold on there! A few years, even a few months ago all of you wanted nothing to do with me. Now all of a sudden you want me to be your king!?"

The winds were surprisingly calm with his outburst, lending a dead silence to the already barren wasteland that covered antarctica. Before him stood the leaders of the winter spirits. He only recognized the the major figures in front, the rest hiding behind the glacial outcroppings farther out.

The Yuki-Onna, he never learned her name, was dressed in a pale blue kimono, the ubi an off setting dark blue. Her lips seemed stuck in a permanent smile pale and blue, her cheeks matched her lips palor. Contrary to her expression her eyes seemed lifeless and blank.

Before her was Laufey, ruler of the Jotun. Tall and slim with a gaunt face that seemed to match. Patterns traveled along her thin body, her size not hiding the strength that all Jotun held. She was at point of the triad in front of Jack, the appointed leader of their group.

The spirit behind them was taller and thinner than the Jotun. Long arms almost reaching the ground, sharp teeth coming out from behind a fearsome and wide mouth. Decency held only by a thin loincloth, although whether there was anything to hide was unknown. It had a stupid air around him, no spot of intelligence shining through its black eyes. A Tuurngait and maker of Wendigos, it might not have been smart, but it was definetly dangerous.

"The past no longer matters," Laufey's voice matched her stretched form, "Mortals believe that you are the King of Winter. Our own power base stems from our following of their belief. Were we to stray too far from the mortals' image of us, we would weaken and eventually fade from existence."

Yuki-Onna's voice echoed softly, "Some things happen without our direct control, Frost-san, such as our power over the cold and ice. Others, however must be changed by us to reflect their beliefs."

"But—but you obviously don't want me to to be in charge. You made it clear that you didn't even want to be near me. What's changed?" Why now?! I, I just need to think, to be alone for a while. Why is this happening now?! Jack started backing away slowly his staff slowly raising in front. The wind howled now, called by his distress and confusion as the area around somehow dropped in temperature even further.

"Normally we would ignore this change and allow the spirit to fade. Eventually the mortals would forget all about the spirit they had once believed in. Something has changed, however."

A sound like ice scraping across the ground went throughout the clearing, only for Jack to realize the Tuurngait had started talking. "Our spirits fading. Small ones, weak ones. Ones with no local legend to give strength. They are gone now, might never come back. Stronger ones have lost strength, soon to follow weak ones."

"Our people are fading now. We cannot afford to fight this any longer. Something has changed the rules. Something has made your legend more important than any other winter spirit's. What it is we don't know; but we don't need to know what it is to save not only our people, but ourselves as well."

"Frost-san, we believe that you will be what saves us. We need you to become King of the Court. Otherwise we will all fade."

Jack stood staring ahead, not really hearing or seeing anything around him. What had Emily done?! What had caused this great shift in the Season? Could he do it, become king of the Court, ruler of the Season? They were fading, soon not even people that had once believed in them would be able to see them anymore. Even the thought of making anyone else go through what he did, even for a second, horrified him. He had no choice, he had to help him. He wouldn't be able to live with himself otherwise, he wouldn't ever be able to go back to Emily. He couldn't let that happen.

"Yes."

The Yuki-Onna startled at his voice, a soft sound escaping her. The others remained quiet, waiting for the rest of his response.

"I will for the Winter Court and I will become its King. Your people will no longer fade."


End file.
